The Greek System was given representation on the Student Assembly (S.A.), with a resolution for a rotating Greek liaison seat that passed on March 7. The resolution was presented by Josh Bronstein ’05, a student-at-large representative. The resolution passed one vote shy of unanimous.
New Position
Effective immediately, the position will be rotated between the Inter-fraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic Association (Panhell), and Multicultural Greek Letter Council (MGLC) starting annually each January.
The “position will be the director of University and community relations or equivalent in each organization,” Bronstein said. “[The new member is an] ex-officio [non-voting] seat that has speaking privileges once everyone on the S.A. has spoken. It is the same position that the Director of the Office of Assemblies and the Dean of Students both currently hold on the S.A.”
S.A. Records
According to the S.A. minutes for March 7, Elias Selinger ’03, vice president of IFC, spoke at the meeting and said that “each representative would be voted by the Greek system, so the seat is pertinent.”
“The seat is valuable to the Greek system, so it will favor communication for 30 percent of the student body who are involved in the Greek system. The Greeks are not asking for voting power, they are only asking for a voice,” Selinger said at the meeting.
This year’s S.A. representative from the Greek councils is Paul El-Meouchy ’03, a member of IFC. “The Greek liaison seat is a great way to foster communication between the Greek system and the Student Assembly,” El-Meouchy said.
“There are issues that pertain to both Greeks and non-Greeks, where uniting with the Student Assembly could be beneficial for both governing bodies. For the three councils to be aware of what is happening on the S.A., and for the S.A. to be aware of what is going in our councils would really encourage us to work together as a better voice for all students,” El-Meouchy added.
Bronstein expressed his opinions that the Greek liaison will present pertinent issues to the S.A.
The Greek liaison member can “bring up issues of Greek autonomy, hazing, and the Greek system’s role in Slope Day among many other items,” Bronstein said. “It is crucial to note, however, that this position is not designed as a lobbying position for the Greek community, but rather to serve as a mutually beneficial bridge. This would have been especially the case when the S.A. was discussing the place of fraternity houses in Slope Day.”
One member of the S.A., voted against the Greek liaison, Scott Toussaint ’05, a student-at-large representative.
“I didn’t think this would make any substance of change,” Toussaint said. “I think that it was not necessary to add an official seat. Greek life is already well enough represented.”
Archived article by Veronika Belenkaya